According to NASA, the Eta Aquarids are known for their speed, reaching up to 148,000 mph when they hurl into the Earth’s atmosphere. These high speeds can produce long trains, or tails of glowing debris that can linger for several seconds in the wake of the meteor.

Though this annual shower is best viewed from the southern hemisphere, Colorado and the northern hemisphere on average see around 10 meteors per hour. When seen from northern latitudes, Eta Aquarids often appear as “earthgrazers” — meteors that seem to skim the Earth’s surface near the horizon, NASA says.

An almost moonless night (the new moon comes Friday) and partly cloudy skies Thursday night should make for favorable viewing conditions. Overnight temperatures in Denver are expected to hover around the low 50s.

And keep an eye out through the weekend as meteors can still be seen for several nights following the shower’s peak.

People along W. Alaska Place work to dig their cars out from several feet of hail on June 5, 2015. The neighborhood at S. Irving Street and W. Alaska Place in Denver gets help from crews from Denver Public Works as they dig out from several feet of hail that fell overnight and pooled at the intersection. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

The study is asking for users of Twitter, Facebook and e-mail to document severe hailstorms — sometimes dubbed “plowable hailstorms” — with photos, video and depth measurements from April through September.

It seems warming temperatures and a break in storm fronts could leave the Front Range high and dry for the holiday. Even still, the National Weather Service in Boulder has mined hundreds of years of weather records to determine the probability of Denver having a white Christmas.

According to records beginning in 1900, when snow depth measurements began, there is a 38 percent chance of having at least one inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day.

But if you’re a white Christmas purist, and having a white Christmas means snow actually falling on Christmas Day, the odds drop to 14 percent. It has snowed on only 19 Christmas Days since 1882, when snowfall measurements began.

If you recall, last year was one of those 19 times. Snow began falling late in the afternoon on Christmas 2014 and continued through the night. By midnight, 3.4 inches had officially been recorded at Denver International Airport — the third-most snow to fall on the day since 1882.

Denver has yet to see a major snowstorm on Christmas Day, according to NWS records. The most snow to fall on Dec. 25 was 7.8 inches in 2007. The most snow to be on the ground on Christmas Day, however, came the day before when 24 inches fell during the massive Christmas Eve Blizzard of 1982.

And for those bemoaning the thought of snow on Christmas, remember back to 2005 when temperatures reached a balmy 69 degrees.

Geminids are also notoriously bright, even at times appearing to have some blue, yellow and green coloration, NASA said.

Every year in mid-December, the Earth travels through the debris path of a small object called 3200 Phaethon. Astronomers say 3200 Phaethon is likely an extinct comet due to its elliptical orbit around the sun, though it does not create a distinct cometary tail. Instead, because its orbit is so close to the sun, extreme heat blasts dust into the Geminid stream.

“Of all the debris streams Earth passes through each year, the Geminid shower is the most massive. When we add up the amount of dust in this stream, it outweighs other streams by factors of 5 to 500,” NASA writes.

As with all meteor showers, the darker the skies, the better. For optimal viewing, it’s best to escape the light pollution of major urban areas. An early setting crescent moon this year will help darken the night sky.

The weather is expected to cooperate as well. The National Weather Service is calling for mostly clear skies for the Front Range Sunday night before another weather systems moves into the state Monday afternoon.

A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower in 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin Clifford)

The annual Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak in the predawn hours Thursday morning, with NASA predicting around a dozen meteors per hour.

That’s not quite as impressive as the shower has seen in the past, but NASA said the celestial show will be joined by some of the best the night sky has to offer, namely the constellations Orion, Gemini and Taurus. Jupiter, Venus and Mars will also make an appearance in the eastern sky.

The Earth is currently passing through the densest part of Halley’s Comet debris field, meaning the best time to spot the meteors will likely be early Thursday morning before sunrise but after the moon sets at 1:30 a.m.

Actually seeing the Orionids, of course, depends on being able to see the sky. The forecast for the Front Range on Wednesday night calls for cloudy skies with a 50 percent chance of showers — rain, not meteors.

If views are in fact plagued by clouds, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will have a live stream beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Photos of late-summer snow from around the Denver area published in the Sept. 4, 1961 edition of The Denver Post

This is Colorado, where yes, it snows, so it should come as no surprise to see photos of a snowy Mile High City grace the front pages of The Denver Post.

What may come as a shock, however, would be to see pictures of a wintry wonderland when the dateline below reads “Monday, September 4, 1961” — a day following the earliest recorded snowfall in Denver.

Front page of the Sept. 4, 1961 edition of The Denver Post.

Today marks the date when 54 years ago Denver officially recorded more than 4 inches of snow at Stapleton Airport. A rare Labor Day storm brought record-low temperatures and heavy snow across the state, stranding motorists and “shivering tourists” looking to enjoy the long holiday weekend.

A story in the Sept. 3 Sunday Denver Post said, “It was the earliest heavy snowfall oldtimers could remember.”

And the oldtimers were right.

“The 4.2 inches of snow that fell in Denver on Sunday was the earliest snowfall recorded since the Weather Bureau began keeping records in 1872. The previous earliest snow was on Sept. 4, 1951. On this occasion only a trace of snow was recorded,” The Post reported the next day.

“The 33-degree reading which held from 6 to 9 a.m. Sunday made the day the coldest Sept. 3 on record, the previous low for the date being 38 degrees recorded in 1874,” the article continued.

The storm ultimately would bring as much as three feet of snow to areas of southwest Colorado (200 campers near Westcliffe, Colo., would have to be “snow-plowed out” after being caught in the storm), and the freezing temperatures would cause $1 million of damage to the state’s “best late-summer crops — pinto beans.”

A Denver Bears Sunday doubleheader with the Houston Buffs was also canceled.

Sept. 5, 1961, The Denver Post

“Not since the Grizzlies revived professional baseball here in postwar era have they encountered snow at this time of the season,” Denver Post sports reporter Frank Haraway wrote.

Denver is no stranger to September snow, but with highs expected in the 80s through Labor Day weekend, the snowplows will likely stay garaged. In fact, Denver has not seen measurable snow this month (other than a trace amount recorded in 2000) since 1999 when just over 3 inches fell. Since 1882, Denver has seen snow in 47 of 132 Septembers.

On average, the first flakes fall in Denver on Oct. 19.

Read the entire article from the Sept. 4, 1961 issue of The Denver Post below:

“Cold Keeps Grip On Denver, State For Second Day.” Sept. 4, 1961, The Denver Post.

Cold Keeps Grip On Denver, State For Second Day

Cold continued its grip on Denver and Colorado Monday. As dawn came to Denver, the Weather Bureau recorded a chilly 40 degrees.

The 40-degree reading tied the previous low for the date set back in 1874.

Ironically, just the opposite condition existed the same date a year ago, Sept. 4, 1960, saw the mercury climb to 97 degrees, making it the hottest Sept. 4 in Denver weather history.

The Weather Bureau called for clearing skies Monday night and warmer temperatures Tuesday for Denver and Colorado. Tuesday’s highs are expected to range between 60 and 70 degrees.

The mercury dipped to 40 degrees twice Monday, at 2 a.m. and again at 6 a.m.

Though the cold failed to set new records Monday, Sunday was another matter.

Earliest Since ‘72
The 4.2 inches of snow that fell in Denver on Sunday was the earliest snowfall recorded since the Weather Bureau began keeping records in 1872. The previous earliest snow was on Sept. 4, 1951. On this occasion only a trace of snow was recorded.

The average date for the first snow in Denver is Oct. 7. The average date for the first measurable snow is Oct. 21, said the Weather Bureau.

Most of Sunday’s snow melted as it fell. The greatest depth recorded by the Weather Bureau was an inch at 11 a.m.

The 33-degree reading which held from 6 to 9 a.m. Sunday made the day the coldest Sept. 3 on record, the previous low for the date being 38 degrees recorded in 1874.

Low Maximum Set
Fall is not scheduled to arrive until 11:43 p.m. Sept. 22, some 18 days off. Winter will not arrive officially until 7:20 p.m. Dec. 21.

Sunday’s maximum temperature of 46 recorded at 3:15 p.m. set a new low maximum for the date. The previous low maximum for Sept. 3 was a comparatively warm 58 degrees recorded in 1938.

As of Monday, the Sunday story was just the opposite a year previous. On Sept. 3, 1960 the temperature climbed to 94 degrees, making it the hottest Sept. 3 in Denver history.

Sunday’s snow and chilling rain was general in the state.

From 12 to 14 inches fell on Loveland Pass.

The State Patrol closed Loveland Pass to traffic Sunday morning while snow plows cleared the west side of the pass. Travel resumed at 1 p.m.

The pass was again closed to traffic at 10:30 a.m. Monday because of poor visibility due to blowing snow. Reopening was expected later in the day.

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, closed by snow Saturday afternoon, was reopened Sunday afternoon, then closed again Sunday night. It was still closed Monday morning.

U.S. 550 over Red Mountain Pass near Silverton was closed temporarily by mud slides Sunday.

A view of the “Blood Moon” taken from Highlands Ranch early October 8, 2014. The Earth will position itself between the sun and the moon, creating a full lunar eclipse with a majestic red hue. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

It will be brief — and early, but on Saturday morning, Colorado will have a great view for the first of two total lunar eclipses of 2015.

The April 4 eclipse, set to begin as the moons sets low in the western horizon, will be the shortest total lunar eclipse seen this century, with full coverage clocking in at only 4 minutes and 43 seconds.

So be prepared, NASA warns. The window for the full eclipse of this “blood moon” lasts from just 5:57 a.m. to 6:02 a.m.

In Colorado, the eclipse will reach “totality” (when the moon is fully shaded by the Earth’s reddish shadow) about 45 minutes before setting in the west. Typically, NASA says, totality for a lunar eclipse can last more than an hour. But on Saturday, the moon’s orbit will barely skim along the edge — rather than through the center — of the earth’s shadow, resulting in an abbreviated full eclipse.

From start to finish, including partial coverage, the Earth’s shadow will begin its creep across the lunar disc at 4:16 a.m. and end at 6:46 a.m., when the moon will set.

The Earth and the moon are currently in the midst of what astronomers call a “tetrad,” which is a rare occurrence of four total lunar eclipses occurring at six-month intervals. Saturday’s eclipse marks the third in the series. The fourth and final total eclipse comes later this year on Sept. 28.

For clarification: A makeshift illustration highlighting important times for Saturday morning’s total lunar eclipse. (The Denver Post)

This eclipse has drawn some special attention because it happens on the weekend of Passover and Easter, but since both holidays are based on lunar calendars, it shouldn’t be all that surprising.

Forecasts suggest the weather should cooperate, with clear skies and temperatures in the upper 20s expected for early Saturday.

One final note: Each full moon has a traditional name (although many of them turn out to be 19th century creations if you research it.) This one is called the Full Spouting Grass Moon. Really. And not just in Colorado!

Earlier, I was worried that we had some sad, breaking Groundhog news. Boulder’s Flatiron Freddy — the deceased but active yellow-bellied marmot who has made his appearance every Feb. 2 at Boulder’s Chautauqua Ranger Cottage for years and years — was nowhere to be found on the Internet. He did not appear on the city calendar, the park calendar or the Daily Camera calendar.

As both my 2013 and 2014 posts noted, Freddy has been reported to be in bad shape in recent years. The wear and tear from appearances — even riding a remote-controlled car one year — has been showing.

However, Alex Burness of the Daily Camera says a “source close to the marmot” tells him Freddy will indeed be appearing Monday — but at a private event at an elementary school. So maybe he is merely cutting back. (No longer has the stamina for public events?)

Ken Armitage is professor emeritus of biology at KU and all you need to know about his credentials is that when Sony released a 25th anniversary edition of the movie “Groundhog Day,” a segment with Armitage was included among the bonus features.

Armitage says a groundhog IS a marmot. One of only two types that live at lower elevations, so that means that all these years our Colorado Groundhog Day festivities have been right on target by using marmots.

In the Star interview, Armitage notes that despite the focus on the solstices at Stonehedge and other sites, the ancient Celts (who come a bit later and did NOT build Stonehedge) started the new year halfway between the winter and summer solstices. Right about Feb. 2.

“An animal emerging from its burrow is a sign of life coming from the Earth’s womb and so spring is coming. So that became the European tradition, only they used hedgehogs or badgers.

“When they came to North America, there were no hedgehogs, no European kind of badgers. But there was this animal that came out of the ground at the right time to use it as an indicator, the groundhog.”

He notes that the animal you pick doesn’t really matter. As long as it pokes its head out, you have a 50-50 shot.

With Colorado’s roller-coaster January weather so far, it’s hard to depend on clear night skies. But over the middle two weeks of the month, a recently discovered comet will be making its appearance in the southern skies.

Comet 2014 Q2 Lovejoy was discovered in August by amateur Australian astronomer Terry Lovejoy. The comet will reach its closet approach to the sun on Jan. 30. But it is closest to Earth starting the second week of January. It has been climbing each night, headed into the constellation Taurus and headed to the right side of Orion.

At its brightest (on Jan. 7), the comet will be about as bright as the faintest star in the Little Dipper. The brightness will be about the same for the next two weeks, so hopefully one of those nights will be clear.

Forecast Colorado is your place for the latest breaking weather news for Denver and Colorado, featuring the latest forecasts, road conditions and closures — with an occasional detour into meterological science, trivia and oddities.